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Off the Shelf: Great Collections in ResourceShelf
Human resources are an evergreen topic for organizations. Laws and workplace norms are always changing, and the workforce itself is constantly evolving. Our collection of resources on human resources highlights information of specific interest to the library and information profession, as well as a range of reports and updates on working life and laws in general.
As last year's results from J. J. Keller's economic impact research made plain, libraries and information professionals were hit hard by the downturn. That makes our current collection on libraries and
librarianship even more important - stay on top of latest developments and reports on how libraries are surviving (and even thriving), as well as trends in our dynamic world.
Workplace safety regulations may not often come up in the library world (although we could all use an ergonomic workstation!), but smart organizations will be sure their information centers have access to useful information on the latest regulations and rulings.
ResourceShelf now has a special category especially to track updates at Data.gov, part of the Obama administration's efforts to make government more transparent. Browse the Data.gov-related postings to gain a quick view of the information on offer - including Department of Labor documentation, OSHA regulations, labor statistics and more.
On the Ticker: Best of DocuTicker
Resource of the Day - Intellectual Property Office (UK)
In Britain, the key agency for patent verification and protection is the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) http://www.ipo.gov.uk. Its website is clear in approach and language, as it has to reach both the professional and the inspired amateur. It is also comprehensive in coverage, since besides patents it also provides related guidance on trade marks, designs and copyright. The focus here, however, will be its work with patents.
The section of the site dealing with patents breaks down in this way:
- About patents
- Applying for a patent
- Resolving disputes
- Patents forms and fees
- Online Patent Services
- Managing your patents
- Withdrawing patent applications
- Other people's patents
- Patent informatics
It will be seen that, as well as advice, this is a site which endeavours to facilitate egovernment: Online Patent Services allows applications to be made electronically, and there is also a good collection of search tools (http://digbig.com/5bbbrc) which permit a variety of search strategies to help establish the current status of an application. These are:
- By Patent Number
- By Supplementary Protection Certificate number
- By Publication (newly published, granted or corrected patents, published weekly)
- Using the European Patent Office's database Esp@cenet . This uses keywords and the European or International Patent classification schemes among the means of searching, valuable if seeking an overview of a field rather than a specific patent. Note also that, although this entry point is in the name GB Esp@acenet, there is a drop-down menu of databases which permits searching within individual European countries, across Europe, and WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation).
The site also strives to keep its users up to date through its own news briefs, IP on the net (a set of links to other IP sites), and through the free Patents Journal. Published weekly, this can be downloaded in its entirety or by section(e.g. UK applications for patents filed, EP/UK patents, etc).
A key point to bear in mind throughout is that, though logically related, the site does try to pack in a vast amount of information on patents (as it does for the other types of IP), so it can be easy to miss something of importance. It's therefore important to be vigilant when drilling down, as many links are provided on both sides of each page. Against this, there is a very useful Professional section, which achieves greater clarity and ease of use by bringing together on one page many key aspects. These include links to the main forms; legislation in the field; and a diary of hearings for patent disputes, as well as a database of past decisions from 1998 onwards.
This site attempts many things for the world of patents, acting as a guide, a source of current awareness and a legal advisor: although it may need some exploring (or prior knowledge of the field) to become a fully comfortable source to use, it certainly has something valuable to offer in all of these roles.
Adrian Janes
Related Posts from Resource Shelf:
Multilingual Translation System Receives over 2 Million Euro in EU Funding
Wikipedia Citations in Patents Up 59 Percent
U.S.Patent Examiners Will Gain Access to Database Containing Thousands of Years of India's Traditional Knowledge
Resource of the Week: Patent Searching for the Rest of Us
More Info Available About Searching Patents Using Scirus
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Over the past 12 to 18 months, most libraries and information centers have dealt with enormous pressures on their budgets and staff. In 2009, ResourceShelf sponsor J. J. Keller & Associates conducted a survey to learn how you were coping with these pressures. Respondents received a copy of the full results, offering a wide range of ideas for turning difficulty into opportunity.